Luminaires are used in many commercial and consumer venues to illuminate particular areas of a site, such as lighting for a service station, storefront or restaurant, and are typically mounted on or within a support structure such as a ceiling, canopy structure or building exterior.
Luminaires of currently existing designs are typically mounted on their support structures either by direct attachment to the structure or by creating an opening and installing the recessed luminaire into the opening. A typical drawback associated with many existing luminaires is that the lamp is mounted in a fixed position on or within the support structure, thereby prohibiting redirection of the light emanating from the lamp toward specific, desired areas below. Although lenses can be used to direct the light toward a particular area and focus the light output downward, a substantial portion of the luminous output of the lamp is nevertheless emitted in other directions.
Some existing luminaires permit movement of the luminaire body to direct the light output, most notably track lighting. However, such existing luminaires are not designed to withstand outside environments, such as weather and insects. Further, many have limitations in the rotational range of the lamps and cannot be easily locked into place. U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,627 to Fischer (“the '627 patent”) discloses an adjustable canopy luminaire capable of withstanding outdoor use. However, the luminaire of the '627 patent can only be tilted to a fixed predetermined angle relative to the opening by opening the door of the luminaire and then lifting and placing the lamp edge on tabs that are located within the housing. Thus, the luminaire of the '627 patent provides only a limited number of angles for aiming the lamp, and it is not possible to adjust the lamp from the outside of the housing.
Another common problem with canopy luminaires is the amount of electricity consumed by the lamp and the complexity of the lamp's electrical system. While a variety of types of lighting lamps can be used, including common fluorescent and incandescent lamps, luminaires in commercial applications often use high intensity discharge (HID) lamps to provide the desired level of lighting. The use of HID light sources can have many drawbacks. HID light sources are regulated by control gear, which may include a ballast alone or in combination with other components such as capacitors, igniters, or other such equipment. This control gear may be as large as or larger than the lamp itself. Further, the lamp and control gear are frequently contained within a box-like housing, which must be mounted to the support structure. HID light sources also use more electricity than lighting alternatives.
One other drawback associated with existing canopy luminaires, again relating to the difficulty in directing the light output toward the intended area, involves the need for using a larger lamp, such as a HID lamp, to provide the desired level of lighting. As the lens cannot efficiently direct the high intensity light to specific areas, much of the light is scattered toward unintended local and distant destinations. This scattering results in light pollution issues ranging from the disturbance of neighbors to interference of night sky viewing.
Thus, there is a substantial need for a luminaire that has increased adjustability over the prior art. It would also be advantageous to provide an externally adjustable luminaire that is easily and quickly adjusted from the outside of the luminaire housing. It would also be advantageous to provide an externally adjustable luminaire that can be aimed through its opening in an infinite number of angles and directions. There also exists a substantial need for a luminaire that may be easily and quickly adjusted to direct light toward a particular target area without scattering light to unintended areas. Further, there is a significant need for a luminaire that is capable of using a smaller lamp and consuming less electricity in its operation while providing the same degree of illumination.